A Twyford priest will be taking his faith to a new level after he was announced as the next Bishop of Winchester.

The Reverend Canon Tim Dakin, who has been an associate priest at St Mary’s Church in Station Road, Twyford, for more than 11 years, was named the 97th Bishop of Winchester by Downing Street on Tuesday. September 6.

The 53-year-old, who is also head of the Church Mission Society (CMS), said: “To be asked to be Bishop of Winchester is an amazing privilege and presents me with a wonderful opportunity to serve in a new way.

“The appointment was a great surprise and I am both humbled and delighted.”

Rev Canon Dakin, who lives in Twyford with his wife Sally and the couple’s two children Anna, 20, and Johnny, 16, will be consecrated as the new bishop in January and will assume the role in Spring 2012.

The Diocese of Winchester is one of the five senior diocese in the Church of England which means Rev Canon Dakin will also automatically enter the House of Lords as one of the Lords Spiritual.

Rev Canon Dakin said: “The Church of England is both fragile and robust. It’s fragile because of all the change, yet it’s strangely robust in the way we’re imaginatively tackling new opportunities.

“As Christians our greatest communication challenge is to show, by what we do and who we are, that our faith is not primarily about what we do in church buildings but about how we live day by day.

“I shall bring with me a passion for mission, and a longing to see the church grow and have an impact in daily life.”

Rev Canon Dakin is also a member of the Church of England’s ruling body, the General Synod, and honorary canon theologian of Coventry Cathedral.

He was born to missionary parents in Tanzania and grew up in East Africa and the UK.

After studying theology at a university college in Plymouth he completed a masters in theology at King’s College in London.

He was ordained in 1993 and returned to East Africa to work as a principal at a church army college before working at Nairobi’s Anglican cathedral where he worshipped as a teenager.

He said: “My life and role at CMS have included quite a bit of travel which has been tremendously enriching but I am now looking forward to being rooted in one particular place. I’m sure I shall enjoy living in Winchester.

“I’ve lived in southern England for a lot of my life.

“It’s been important for me to be rooted and to minister in the local parish where we live where I’ve been an associate priest for over 11 years.”

Well-wishers from St Mary’s Church in Twyford also wished the priest good luck in his role by ringing the church bells on Tuesday, September 6.

Members of the St Mary’s ringers gathered at the church to mark the occasion and they are also hoping to organise a 45-minute quarter peal or three-hour full peal when the Rev Canon Dakin is enthroned in Winchester.